Mohawk Valley Dental Hygienists’ Association Honored

Chicago—July 31, 2006—The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) and Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals Inc, a subsidiary of the Colgate Palmolive Company, have named the Mohawk Valley Dental Hygienists’ Association (MVDHA) a recipient of the 2006 Colgate/ADHA Community Outreach Award.

The award is presented to ADHA component organizations that have implemented significant community outreach programs focusing on preventive oral health care.

Accepting the award on behalf of MVDHA was Heidi Philley, RDH, MVDHA president. Philley works as clinical dental hygienist in Clinton, N.Y., and earned her associate in applied science in dental hygiene from Eerie Community College in Buffalo, N.Y.

The award was presented to the MVDHA for their Dental Hygiene Education and Fluoride Varnish Program, which took place in Huanuco, Peru, which is located in the Andes Mountains. The program accomplished three goals; dental hygiene education for children in schools and faith-based clubs, application of fluoride varnish to the teeth of the same children, and data collection to initiate dental treatment for these underserved children.

The recipients were honored at ADHA’s 83rd annual session in Orlando, Fla., on June 24. The winners each received a $2,000 donation for their component, a commemorative award, and an expense-free trip to Orlando for the ceremony.

ADHA is the largest national organization representing the professional interests of more than 120,000 dental hygienists across the country. Dental hygienists are preventive oral health professionals, licensed in dental hygiene, who provide educational, clinical and therapeutic services that support total health through the promotion of optimal oral health. For more information about ADHA, dental hygiene or the link between oral health and general health, visit ADHA at http://www.adha.org.

Colgate Palmolive is a leading global consumer products company, tightly focused on oral care, personal care, home care and pet nutrition.

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